THE Queen was a “delighted” winner at Royal Ascot yesterday – for the first time in four years.
Two-year-old Tactical stormed home to win the Windsor Castle Stakes.
Racing is being held behind closed doors due to coronavirus meaning The Queen was forced to cheer her horse home on the telly.
The horse owned by The Queen and ridden by James Doyle and trained by Andrew Balding was the bookies’ favourite.
It came first minutes after The Queen’s other runner First Receiver had finished second in an earlier race – scuppering a chancce of two winners on day two of the festival.
But it was Her Majesty’s first winner at the annual flat-racing gala since 2016.
‘ABSOLUTELY THRILLED’
Royal Ascot normally attracts 70,000 spectators a day but fans have been banned – and jockeys are even wearing face masks.
John Warren, the Queen’s bloodstock advisor, said: “I think everyone involved is absolutely thrilled – all of Her Majesty’s team, and obviously Andrew and his team.
“Throughout the conversations the Queen was saying how delighted she is to produce a two-year winner at Royal Ascot.
“I suspect she got a warm inner feeling from pulling this one off.”
The Queen watched from Windsor Castle where she remains in isolation with a team of loyal staff for 12 weeks during lockdown.
Trainer Andrew Balding said: “On racedays we tend to give the Queen a ring in the morning and give her our thoughts.
“We did that this morning, so she was well informed.”
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